Love is a Battlefield
by Bertie-bop
Summary: Who would have thought Snape kidnapping him during the night would actually turn out to be the BEST days of his life...even if he had to sustain a lot of bruises to get it...That Albus Dumbledore is surely a Genius! HP/GW Action/Humour/Romance


**Summary: **Who would have thought Snape kidnapping him during the night would actually turn out to be the BEST day of his life...even if he had to sustain a lot of bruises to get it...That Albus Dumbledore is surely a Genius

My second official fanfiction,most definately could have been better :P :))

ENJOY MINIONS :) xoxoxox

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"…Ought to get those indolent novices a fleeting taste of the Dark times ahead"

Albus Dumbledore straightened up in his olive, high-backed chair, his bushy eyebrows mounting in interest. He shifted his keen gaze from his cluttered desk to the chaotic array of portraits in his office, settling eyes on one in particular. His quill was suspended over a lingering roll of parchment, a blob of ink slowly forming on the end.

He could hardly conjure up an image of a time without paperwork. He had school to uphold, a war to fight, a incompetent Minister to advise, a bothersome dark lord to vanquish…amongst other things that had transformed into the ever growing stack of parchments on his desk, that only seemed to swell as time passed.

"Go on," Encouraged Dumbledore gently, setting down his quill, his twinkling blue eyes seeping with intrigue.

Moonlight spilled in through the bare windows and drenched the weary Headmaster in a silvery glow so that he appeared more old and frail then ever before. The clock over head announced midnight. Fawkes was snoozing peacefully on his perch; the soft drone of Dumbledore's delicate silver instruments whirring pleasantly in the background.

"A test of strength and durability for these dark times, a training exercise to help cement and sharpen their skill in case of a sudden attack by the opposition" Said a soft voice, belonging to one of the portraits on the wall; Phineas Black raised his head from his arms where he had just been sleeping. "…A midnight warfare task"

Dumbledore stroked his beard accordingly. After mulling over the idea for what seemed like a century he took a deep breath. From his gilded frame, Phineas beamed smugly.

"Fawkes. Alert Minerva and Severus and bring them to my office at once"

At once the phoenix woke and took one magnificent sweep of his flame coloured wings and shot through the open window in haste to act upon Dumbledore's orders.

For the next twelve minutes Dumbledore devised the whole exercise on a sheet of parchment, soliciting help from Phineas when the ex-Headmaster saw fit to intervene and offer advice.

Twelve minutes later a sudden knock thudded on the office door, alerting Professor Albus Dumbledore that his anticipated guests had arrived. Side-glancing Phineas, the aged professor settled into a chair and politely folded his hands on the top of his desk. A whir of wings indicated Fawkes had arrived from the window.

"Please enter."

Professor McGonagall and Severus Snape pierced the study with an established haste and immediately took to attention in front of Dumbledore's rectangular desk.

Both look distinctively disheveled. An unmistakable glower graced Snape's sallow face, it was evident that the potions master did not like being disturbed from his sleep, and he looked even more murderous then usual. To his right stood his highly learned counterpart; Professor McGonagall who was breathing quickly, not bothering to hide her fear obvious in her expression.

"I appreciate the two of you coming". Dumbledore began slickly, curling his withered lips, "I do apologize for the lateness of the hour, but an urgent matter has just come to my attention that must be put into effect immediately."

Snape made a sound, his face crinkled in skepticism, "What is so important Dumbledore that it must interrupt our sleep"

Dumbledore blinked at Snape's disrespect, but his smile did not falter, "What has been brought to my attention Severus is that our students are quite unsuspecting of any sudden attacks to the school"

Dumbledore leaned forward "I intend to change that"

McGonagall raised an eyebrow, looking mildly intrigued.

"What do you have in mind Albus?"

-------

It was cold in the common room; bitterly cold. Across the room, through the thick frost-edged panes of the windows up ahead, the stars glittered like a band of diamonds in the black sky. Below, at the large oak table pushed into shadows, a skinny figure was bent over a sheaf of parchments, an erratic deck of exploding snap cards heaped in front of him, and crumpled cans of butterbeer by the foot of his chair. Loud snores echoed through the common room as the figure's head slumped slowly forwards, a bead of spittle bubbling on his lips.

The parchments underneath him, rustled like dead leaves as an icy draught whistling through the common room caught them. The boy shivered in his sleep and the light clink of his golden locket connected to the heavy chain around his neck mingled with his snores.

He slumped further forward, cheeks wobbling and neck creasing. The dangling locket knocked against the rim of exploding snap deck, eliciting the tiniest of sparks. The snores were deep and rumbling now and, as the sleeper's exceptionally pale face hovered over the table, the locket hung right over the exploding snap cards, sweeping back and forth like a pendulum.

All at once, with a volcanic snore, the sagging figure fell completely forwards. He slammed his forehead on the edge of the table with a thud - and sat bolt upright. In front of him, there was a hiss, a crackle, a whiff of toasted marshmallows- and the table abruptly exploded.

The boy was thrown back from his chair. He landed heavily on the other side of the common room, twisting a leg and knocking his head sharply against the carpeted floor.

Up in the dormitory, like a faulty echo, there came an answering sound of cries and befuddles shout. The boy coughed throatily as he heaved himself painfully to his feet. The air was thick with dust and smoke. His head throbbed, his ears were ringing, and wherever he looked, the after-image of the explosion flashed before him; now pink, now green. He coughed again and again, great convulsions racking his body, his hair was more inexplicable then usual and his robes were torn and burned in most places.

At last the coughing subsided, and he fumbled his sleeve and wiped his streaming eyes. It was seventeen minutes passed midnight, with the full moon dull and greasy yellow behind the thickening mist. Wiping his eyes, he surveyed the room at large, the fireplace had burnt out long ago and the only source of light in the otherwise suffocating blackness was the star shimmering through the window. A sudden gust swept the common room, scattering his work on the carpet.

A bolt of terror zinged his head and shot down his spine.

His eyes shifted left and right, coming to the conclusion that this amount of eerie, spine chilling silence in the room was something he previously thought belonged in muggle horror movies. Unfortunately for him (and it was always him), it looked as if the Gryffindor common of Hogwarts castle was the ideal setting for a terrifying picture.

"Merlin, I'm pathetic," He mumbled angrily to himself. Sleep addled and the works, yet his fluffy pillow would have to wait, he had an assignment to finish.

Harry Potter rolled his eyes to himself, and decided to ignore the nerve-racking sensation in the well of his stomach. Shaking his head, he was of course over reacting, 'hero complex', it was as if he almost willed a knife wielding mad man to jump out from the shadows and attack him.

He bent over to retrieve the masses of singed parchments littering the floor, wincing slightly. As he did this he continued to ponder the same thoughts that plagued him before he had fallen asleep, over how to make the potion master, Severus Snape spontaneously combust in to flames with his mind. His face grew warm when he thought of what had really plagued him before he had fallen asleep, and he quickly busied himself with his work.

It was only until he had settled himself back into his seat, nibbling the edge of his quill, that he heard a loud creak of a footstep that he nearly shoved the aforementioned quill up his left nostril, whipping round.

Of course, no one was there, and he tilted on the back legs of her chair to get a closer look at his surroundings.

Much to his concern Harry realized that Ron, was nowhere to be found sprawled on usual chair next to Harry, also paying for playing Quidditch instead of completing Snapes four foot essay on the numerous effects of the swelling potion, to be handed in for tomorrow morning. He skimmed his eyes around the room, amounting to the same conclusion; empty, and liked to think that it really was. However, that worrying sensation in the bottom of his stomach refused to be ignored. Pushing back a lock a jet-black hair away from now sweaty forehead- his eyes fell upon his work again. Another loud creak and his head shot up. He spun around on his chair, slightly gripping the edge of his seat in apprehension, his face oddly contorted.

"Who's there?" He demanded to the room at large.

As expected, the owner of the creak did not answer, and Harry was enormously sure there was an 'owner' because such loud creaks were not produced from out of thin air…even in the magical world. Debating whether to make grab for his wand, the idea was however pushed aside as his gaze caught a dark figure and his insides turned to mush.

Just as Harry was about to demand in an oddly high pitch "_Who is there_?" Wand light blasted his eyeballs and he was vaguely aware of a piece of cloth appearing out of nowhere, promptly covering his eyes. He immediately gripped his hands to the blindfold, trying to tug it off.

Harry was tall and lightly muscled, but that didn't stop a set of colossal invisible arms seizing him at the waist and driving him down agaisnt the floorboards, with such force that they cracked beneath him.

"_Merlin,"_ he gasped and for the slightest of second he forgot what had just happen, as his body exploded with pain.

Then it hit him like Hogwart's Express.

"_What is going on_?" he shrieked. He let off a series off high pitch girlish screams; whatever was covering her eyes was fastened on secure.

"_Potter,_ for the love of _Merlin, _shut up!"

He recognized that voice from anywhere, and a feeling of intense dread flooded the pit of his stomach, all his worse fears materialized into the form of Severus Snape molesting him during the night

"S-snape?" He stammered. "W-what the _Fuc-_"

He shot up from the floor, faltering a little in his blindness, still trying to pry off the blindfold with her fingertips.

"Get this bloody thing off me! Help! Help! What are you--_mmhfghmm_!"

He recognized a palm cover his mouth. He tried to scream as he felt himself being lifted in the air. Still screaming in both confusion and absolute terror, the particular piercing scream he intended came across as a muffled; but before he could get any specific, Snape crammed a large gag in his mouth. Then with a flick of his malicious wand he flipped Harry around, pressed a foot to his back and ripped a length rope from his robes.

Harry continued to struggle by tucking one of his wrists under his body.

"_Potter_" Snape hissed icily.

Harry realized heroism was going to get him nowhere…again and he let of a huge muffled groan before allowing Snape to tie the rope around his wrist and drag him to his feet.

'There is a rumor going around Hogwarts you're getting soft," explained Snape nastily and he shoved Harry in the back 'Lets get you out of the school where you can prove them wrong"

Harry gulped, knowing no good could come from this.

"I still expect that essay."

If there hadn't been a gag jammed his mouth, he would have swore.

----------------------------

The sky was black this night, not a light could be seen through the inky darkness. Clouds hovered low now, obscuring even the stars. The wind passed over the black lake rippling the surface and slapping the waves against the shore. The trees of the forbidden forest bristle in the very same wind, making hairs on the back of Harry's neck stand up on end.

As the young Potter stepped out of Hogwarts, thankfully without the blindfold and into an unknown area completely, he found himself staring at a sea of familiar terrified faces, all traces of Snape's midnight rendevous not quite wiped clean from their memories yet.

Harry stopped short, having spotted Hermione and Ron huddled together, the night not quite putting out his best mate's fiery red hair. As he pushed through the crowd, he looked up and saw Ginny. She was smaller then anyone else and by far the prettiest…Harry felt his breath get caught in his throat…

That's when he realised what was going on.

"Were all sixth and seventh years" He said out aloud

"Looks like it" responded Ginny with a wiry nod. "…Lucky us"

"Merlin, it's got cold" said Ron as he tucked his arm under his armpits; he boasted a large cut on his forehead and a swollen lip. He motioned for Harry to stand next to him. On Ron's immediate left was Hermione who seemed incapable of speech and merely gave him a peculiar jerky nod. Harry nodded in understanding, sharing a look with Ron, who voiced his opinions with a suppressed shudder. Harry saw a movement out of the corner of his eyes.

…Ginny.

"You cold?" asked Harry, as he noted Ginny's skimpy running shorts with a flush, he thanked Merlin it was incredibly dark out and she couldn't see his face properly.

"A bit," she nodded. "You got any idea why were here freezing our ars –" However she was cut off abruptly by Snape appearing out of the shadows so suddenly, a wicked habit he had picked up over the course of seven years, that it made both Dean and Seamus yelped in a unison.

"Were getting complaints,' Snape shouted, as the potion master spoke, the crowd rippled with shivers and Harry could not blame them.

"_Seventh_ years and _Sixth _years" Snape shouted, sending a spray of spit at them, his lips curling with disgust at the mere mention of them.

"You strut around Hogwarts, thinking this school is your personal playground! You boss around the 1st years. You don't work hard enough, because you think you have already made it! We are in a WAR!" Snapes smirked evilly, clearly relishing his sudden position of power. "…Well tonight you're getting a long overdue kick in the backside. Professor Dumbledore has devised a midnight warfare task. We have sixteen 1st years to compete agaisnt sixteen 6th and 7th years who are currently stationed on the grounds"

Harry then noticed a huddle of 1st years around the back of Hagrid's cabin, armed with wands and malicious grins. He leaned over to whisper in Ron's ear.

"Look at how big those 1st years are, they don't look like they been potty trained, we'll run rings around them" he slid Ron a cocky grin, who smiled back with relief.

"What was that _Potter_!" Snape enquired with a hiss reserved just for Harry, walking up to him with the movements of a snake. "Care to share with the rest of us?"

"Just clearing my throat, Sir" Harry said defiantly. Snapes eyes flashed and Harry took immense satisfaction in it. He caught the potions masters poisonous stare, but doubled back in horror when Snape bit back a hideous smile instead that revealed the yellow of his crooked teeth. The professor spun around slickly, turning his back to Harry's disbelieving face.

"The objective for you is simple; you make it from here back to the school. Once you are inside you can enjoy the rests of your night sleep. Unfortunately for you the 1st years will be trying to stop you, each time you are captured, you bounded again and will have to start from the beginning. They will be equipped with their wands, brooms and these two way talking mirrors" He held up something to the sky, a square piece of glass that flashed in the moonlight. "Most importantly, Professor McGonagall and I will co-ordinate there movements. We have also hand picked some of our highly skilled 1st years and positioned two dozen of them in strategic locations. They are not authorised to capture and return you to starting position, but they will be acting as scouts, positioning traps and of course stunning or cursing you.

From behind professor Snape, professor McGonagall stepped out and Harry felt a wave of relief flood him. At least Dumbledore was not stupid enough to leave them alone with a complete lunatic.

"This training exercise will finish at 7:00am, any student who does not make it back to Hogwarts before then will be expected to accompany Filch for the next ten days. All other standard safety and containment rules apply. Any questions" said professor McGonagall firmly, peering at them over her spectacles.

For a minute, no body moved, then Neville raised his hand, professor Snape shot him a venomous look. Neville gulped and let his arm fall limply to his side, his face gaping with horror.

"When I blow my whistle, you can start to run. I' am giving you forty seconds, then I'll blow again and the 1st years will be on your ars –"

"Professor Snape!"

Harry pushed his glasses up his nose as Snape raised the whistle to his lips.

-----------------

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione ran at full pelt. Forty seconds was a scant advantage when your opponents had brooms that could match the speed of a hurtling train and spells, no doubt orchestrated by Snape that could knock you flat on your arses.

"I got an idea,' Ginny gasped as they ran. "I spent months exploring out here, the outskirts behind Hagrid's hut I know them like the back of my hand and nobody's gonna be keen to follow us through the mud"

"Sod wading through a bog," said Ron "I say we keep it simple: run flat out hope we get lucky."

"We'll get nailed in two seconds," sneered Ginny shooting her brother a dirty look. The Gryffindors cut off the path and into the trees and began crackling through the dense undergrowth. They had no wands and million and one things scratched at their legs.

Something cracked through the air above and Harry yelped in pain.

The air was rented by Hermione's scream.

"First year!" Gasped Ron as they all dived for cover.

"No way that's forty seconds," complained Ginny.

Hermione shook her head, peppering the air with bits of leaves and twigs. "I think you find that forty seconds is however long the person with the wand says it is."

Besides her Harry inspected his arm, the spell would have been excruciating if he had taken a direct hit, however it had caught him at an acute angle and only brushed his arm before rocketing upwards into the tangle of branches.

"Close one"

Both he and Ron slowly crawled into the gap between the trunks of two trees and tried looking back to see who was shooting at them. They had been out in the dark long enough for their eyes to acclimatise, but they still couldn't see the spell casters. Worse still there was a pair of speeding brooms roaring down the path.

Another spell thudded the tree trunk, flooding the sky with frightened birds.

"Sod this," Said Ron "I'm never doing Dumbledore a favour again, that's for sure"

"I heading for the outskirts," said Ginny determinedly, wiping sweat from her forehead. "The first years will work in pairs, which means they can't go after all of us if we split up."

"Maybe we should go that way," said Hermione uneasily, gesturing toward Ginny's direction.

However Ron was resolute "It stinks out there and the Doxies will eat you alive"

Ginny raised an eyebrow and shot Harry a questioning look, as if to say '_well'_.

Harry gulped, not looking Ginny directly in the eye "I guess I'll stick around with Ron." Because in truth he could not trust him self to be alone with her. Behind him Ron beamed smugly.

Hermione released a long sigh in apology, "Good Luck" she offered weakly. Ginny smiled.

"Galleon, says I'll get there first" and as Ginny rustled through the bushes, muttering distinctively about _cowards, _a flash from a wand alerted them of two hovering broom, sweeping by. The brooms were useless amongst the trees, so the trio were not surprised they were heading for open ground.

"They're gonna nail our arses, when we try to cross the Quidditch pitch," said Harry out aloud.

But at least the petulant rustle of branches and the consistent sloshing of water gave them the opportunity to scramble out of the undergrowth without the residing first years being able to hear them moving off. As well as the fact the air was constantly rented by screams and cries for help as well as the odd explosion or two.

"Hope the first years haven't found the night seeing spell." whispered Ron and Harry hoped for there sakes they hadn't.

"Of course they have," said Hermione irritably "How do you think he shot at us?"

Ron whimpered.

----------------

The shooter wasn't a he; Siobhan Platt was eleven years old and knew that the three seventh years would have to cut off the path before the first years on brooms came after them, she positioned herself high up on the fork of a tree a couple of feet from where they had come from.

With a straight shot at Harry Potters back, she hoped to cover his entire body with huge throbbing pus filled boils, then she could call for backup and with luck they pick him up before he had a chance to run off the pain or be dragged to safety by his friends.

However Siobhan hadn't accounted for the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

After the disappointment of missing her target, Siobhan had overheard the sixth year Ginny Weasley saying she was going for the outskirts. The lone sixteen year old seemed a much more attractive target that two burly seventh years and apparently one of the smartest witches in the school.

She unhooked her legs from around the trunk before stepping down on a thick branch. By this time the first year's on brooms were coming and she knew the noise was her best shot at jumping out of the tree with the trio hearing. Siobhan landed on the tree root. The weight of her equipment and backpack made the touchdown hard on her knees, but she screwed up her face, squeezed her mouth shut and resisted the urge to groan.

Fortunately, Ron, Hermione and Harry were more concerned with making it back to Hogwarts than going after a first year. Siobhan slung her backpack over her shoulder and began to move swiftly towards Hagrid's.

"This is Siobhan Platt," she whispered into her two way mirror curled in her palm "I' am tracking Ginny Weasley to the outskirts, she planning to cut through the back of Hagrid's through to the courtyard."

Professor Snapes calculated voice came back at her "Good work Ms Platt…"

---------------

Harry, Ron and Hermione faced a trade off between risk and speed. Keeping to the undergrowth was safe but took forever. Marked paths were much faster, but the chances of being spotted were much greater. After crawling for five minutes their limbs were covered with grazes and Hermione had a coating of mud where she had skidded down into a bog. Under normal circumstances Ron would have howled with raucous laughter as she slid down unstoppably, but he was far to tired and all he wanted was a warm duvet to curl under.

"First years up ahead" Harry whispered as he peeked out from behind a bush. Ron shook his head with contempt as he saw the two young boys standing in the clearing for all to see.

"How dopey can you get?" he smiled.

"They got wands, brooms, backpacks full of Weasley merchandise and contact with psycho who I' m pretty sure he wants us all dead" said Hermione shifting grumpily in the mud.

"Grabbing that lot would improve our odds though," Said Harry thoughtfully

Ron nodded. "I say we creep around from the opposite side and nail them rotten little buggers."

"Ron!" scolded Hermione.

Harry kept low as he moved towards the two first years. One boy spoke into his two way mirror, giving the impression he was lost, but a second before Ron, Hermione and Harry were ready to pounce, the boys turned purposefully and started walking down the path. Being older and far larger then their opponent, Ron, Harry and Hermione were sure they'd be able to emerge from cover and grab the first years before they could turn and throw spells at them. Without communicating they leapt from out of cover and scrambled out to jump on the first years.

Ron made it to the path first as he crossed the line between the two trees he heard a high pitch gasp of a first year boy "Spring it!"

Ron didn't see the lattice of ropes shooting out of the mulch to form a barrier, and ran straight into them. As he tipped forwards, Harry was knocked back by another set rising up behind him. The ropes snagged Harry's shoes and dragged him painfully on his arse. For a moment Harry thought it was two separate barriers, but the ropes closed around his foot came off the ground.

"Trap!" shouted Ron lately, grabbing at the sides and trying to clamber out over the top.

As Ron fought hopelessly, Harry's situation was more precarious. He was outside the net, but his boot was snagged and he was being dragged into the air. Hermione on the other hand, although not caught in a net or hanging of it for that matter, she did find herself however cornered by a handful of wand-happy first years pointing there wands at her chest.

"We surrender" she tittered nervously, raising her hands into forfeit. The first years smiled evilly in response.

"Levitate a little higher," a young voice shouted from somewhere in the trees.

Even though the Levicorpus spell lessened the burden, the first years still struggled to raise the weight of two teenagers.

Ron realised that he didn't have hope in hell of escape, but Harry did and he twisted around so that he could get his hand on his best friends boot. Harry's arms were in touching distance of the ground, but his entire bodyweight dangled from one twisted ankle and he moaned in pain each time the first years levitated him higher.

"Hang on," gasped Ron as he tugged at the ropes, trying to free Harry's boot. He was jolted as one of the first years that had been in the clearing shot him in the arse with a stinging spell from close range.

"Undo the lace," shouted Harry in agony, before yelping as the other first year shot another stinging hex at his left leg.

"Son of a bitc –"

Ron unknotted Harry's lace and began loosening his boot. The swinging net lurched another meter into the air as a second hex hit the Weasley male in the thigh.

"I'm captured," shouted Ron indignantly "Stop hexing me" he added, rubbing his thigh furiously.

Another spell hit him in the arse. "You're assisting another participant," one first year pointed out. "You're not properly surrendered"

Ron was infuriated by the first year and would have liked nothing more then to wring his tiny little neck, but he finally got the laces of Harry's boot loose enough for his foot to slide out through the net.

Harry fell on his head.

His muscular arms and shoulder absorbed most of the impact, but his head had hit the dirt with some force and his glasses grazed the skin around his eyes.

He rolled off his stomach and leapt clumsily to his feet as the two first year boys who led them into the trap fired at them.

"BOO!"

Luckily, his powerful presence and his rank as the 'chosen one' spooked them and most of their spells disintegrated harmlessly in the ground by his and Hermione's feet.

A Slytherin first year shooting from behind had no such problem and slammed an agonising Furnunculus between Harry's shoulder blade sending an eruption of pink boils around his back.

"Merlin," screamed Harry, stumbling forward as he looked up as Ron's outline balled in the net more then four feet from the ground. Hermione seized the back of his robes just as he was about to fall forward in a heap and steadied him.

For an instance they shared a look, both considering a daring rescue but between Harry's twisted ankle, boil covered back, missing boot and spells coming at both of them in all directions and the fact that Hermione's usefulness could only be wielded by a wand there wasn't a chance in hell.

"There at least five of them," shouted Ron, thinking of three first years shooting at them from the clearing and the two hoisting the net from somewhere in the bushes.

With the infamous Harry Potter being supported by a repulsed looking Hermione the first years probably could have overpowered them both, but they were happy enough to have one victim and didn't fancy their chances agaisnt the chosen one and his bushy hair best friend.

As Harry and Hermione hopped awkwardly away through the bushes looking very peculiar indeed, the first years all stopped shouting and casting and Ron found himself high of the ground, with a very sharp stinging pain in his arse and a gentle creaking of the net as it swung from the branches.

The mangy Slytherin who had done such a good job hexing Harry moved directly under the net and spoke to her own two way mirror.

"This is Greengrass calling for any help. Our honey trap just caught a fairly dim-witted bee and we appreciate it if someone came down and took him of our hands."

Ron was pretty furious at being up in the net and having some first year insult him didn't improve his mood.

"Hey little girl," He shouted. "I happen to have ways of sneaking around Hogwarts without being detected. So watch your mouth, because one day soon you might find yourself on a deserted corridor where your arse belongs to me"

"Did I ask for you opinion?" the girl laughed as she aimed her wand and shot Ron in the arse again with a particularly ferocious stinging hex.

"Hey," Ron screamed, "Stop that. Its not allowed and you know it."

The girl tutted "Why don't you write a letter to the ministry of magic"

------------------------

Siobhan was only a few weeks shy of her twelve birthday, she was confident and fit but she was also five years younger then Ginny Weasley.

"Professor's this is Siobhan" she whispered as she slid her two-way mirror from her pocket to her mouth in one fluid movement. "I've lost Ginny Weasley, can you help me out."

Snapes voice came straight back to the mirror but was drowned out when Siobhan heard a squelching sound like someone dropping into a ditch nearby. She suspected Ginny was long gone and that another sixth or seventh year had wandered into the area.

Dead leaves and branches crackled underfoot, she kept her wand poised as she swung left and right seeking a target.

Pursuing Ginny Weasley wasn't nearly a good idea as it was fifteen minutes earlier. She moved right to the end of the ditch. As she crouched over the water, she heard a splash and before she new it, something had gripped her ankles and her boots and she was sliding down the embankment.

She kicked and wriggled and clawed at the mud, but her opponent was too heavy and she found herself being plunged in to ice cold water. Siobhan's head was thrust under swirls of mud and held there for a few seconds.

"There is a reason not to mess with me when I' m grouchy," Ginny hissed, as she released Siobhan "You should have stuck to finger painting and picking your nose."

Siobhan stifled a huge sob; large droplets of muddy water streaming down her face.

"I want everything you got," demanded Ginny "Wand, mirror, back pack"

She ripped the wand and mirror from Siobhan's grimy hands hoping to gain valuable intelligence by listening to the incessant mirror traffic between first years and professors and hoping to curse the next unlucky chap who got in her way.

"Thank you very much."

---------------------

Running with one boot of made both Harry and Hermione lopsided, but he had refused to take it off because then he would be left with two damp, freezing cold feet instead of one and as Hermione pointed out smartly it increased the chanced of slicing his foot open on thorns or something far worse.

They found an old path through Hogwarts, which had been barricaded here and there with logs and water traps. However keeping to such an obvious root was a risk, but they ran as fast as the darkness and Harry's twisted ankle would allow. Within ten minutes of Ron's capture they had reached the knoll overlooking the grounds around Hogwarts Lake and the Quidditch pitches beyond it.

They shielded themselves behind the last line of trees. There was no sign of the first years but they both knew they were out there, squatting in the darkness ready to curse the pants of them.

Keep low, move from place to place and leave yourself exposed to enemy fire for the shortest time possible.

Still it wasn't like they had a choice. They eyed a clump of stunted trees halfway between the lake and the edge of the forbidden forest that would provide perfect cover until they were certain the coast was clear.

"We are so totally screwed," breathed Harry, and Hermione could not help but nod in agreement. "Well here goes…"

Laying flat on their respective bellies, they crawled as fast as they could until they reached reasonably long grass where they both decided quickly that it was safe to stand up and break into a crouching, hobbling excuse of a run.

"Harry, hurry up were almost ther-Aaaarrggghhh!" As Harry and Hermione made it to the clump of trees, they heard the swoosh's of brooms.

The three first years on brooms stormed out of the trees, screaming battle cries as they raced down the hill towards them, wands ablaze; a scream left Hermione's lips as they broke into a hobble towards the lake, obviously hoping to swim it across.

However they had not counted on a decline and mud…lots and lots of mud.

"Bugger, bugger, bugger…" skidding into no-mans land Harry lost grip of Hermione's hand and stumbled clumsily into the sloppy mud. "…Hey Hermione, HERMION-" Harry slipped face first into the mud with a loud 'plop' and a howl of pain, slowly he peeled back his mud encrusted face and…

The broomstick riders had formed a triangle around him, their wands raised threateningly. Standing shakily to his feet, arms rising in the air, Harry felt a gentle nudge in the back that suggested Hermione had reversed right up into him.

"…Oh no"

---------

Ginny's journey wasn't pleasant, but as only she could have predicted nobody had wanted to follow her through the mud. Finally reaching solid ground, Ginny glanced to make sure no one was coming her way. She kept low as she traversed across the hard earth, wand poised, particularly nasty spells ready on her lip. She was alarmed by the squelching of boots and quickly deduced that someone was stationed nearby.

She moved swiftly, her wand swinging back and forth at potential dangers. Even with all of the first's year equipment she didn't fancy her chances of covering open ground…especially on foot.

The obvious answer was the broom shed. The first years might shoot at her but she was a witch to be reckoned with when armed with a wand and a broom.

Ginny prayed that a couple of brooms had been left behind in the broom shed after the first years raid. Smiling confidently as she popped her head out of the undergrowth and trained her eyes on the distant blemish that stood like a shining beacon amongst the Hogwarts grounds, breaking the canvas of monotonous black.

Before breaking out into a maniac run across the slippery ground, Ginny made a careful study of her surroundings. There were a few boot marks in the mud, they were small prints and widely spaced, which suggested a pair of first years who had been chasing after some poor sixth or seventh year rather then the more cautious movements of someone setting a trap.

Ginny's heel squelched in the mud, as she stood up satisfied. Wand poised she broke into a long loping run across the ground and within minutes, she had reached the broom shed and wrenched open the door, the rusty hinges crying out shock.

A smile broke over Ginny's face as she imagined the havoc she would wreak as she stared at the handful of miserable looking brooms pushed into the corner of the grimy shed.

-------------

The first years had taken their sweet time releasing Ron from the net and they hadn't bothered letting him down gently.

Rubbing his backside painfully, he was therefore surprised when he saw the shivering outline of his two best friends, facedown in the mud with two first years pointing wands at the back letting out a stream of insults at what use to be the boy who lived and what use to be the smartest witch in the year.

"Fancy seeing you guys here," he smirked as he drew up to them, his smile quickly turned to a look of surprise as he found himself being thrown onto the muddy floor, a loud grunt escaping his lips as he made impact.

"Yeah" smiled Harry, mud cracking on his face.

"What's the situation," said Ron when he finally managed to get his breath back.

"Grim," responded Hermione miserably. "At least half of us have been captured-" she was cut of by a loud scream from the distant, which sounded an awfully lot like Neville Longbottom.

"…There are at least ten first years roaming about and a handful of scouts near the exit, a new search team have just left," Harry finished off just as deadpanned.

"What about Ginny," Ron asked. "Any sign of her"

"Not that we heard" said Hermione, as she looked at her watch "Its slow going at the outskirts, so I doubt she hasn't even hit open ground yet."

"There's no point trying to run out into the open," said Ron, frustrated. "Ambushing and nabbing wands and brooms is the only way to go."

Hermione and Harry nodded in sync. "Lure in one of the first years on a broom and knock him off, but it won't be easy, I reckon all the rest of them are gonna try it"

"Just as well – Hey we want another go!" Shouted Harry, he got to his feet wincing in pain, the first years smirking about him, wand still pointing to vital body parts. Offering a hand to Hermione who accepted gratefully, the trio headed to a round face first year with a clipboard.

"Ready for another shot," she asked a bit to cheerfully. The first year took a whistle from her robe pocket. "You got forty second immunity from when I blow this whistle." She turned and shouted towards the trees. "Three more suckers heading out on my mark."

Ron made a strangled noise in the back of his throat.

"I couldn't have put it better myself," said Harry bracingly.

-------------------

A spell cracked through the air and shot the ground a foot away from Ginny. She dived behind a line of bushes as a second spell whacked the heel of her boot, sending a sharp stinging pain down her leg. She then looked up and peeked between the branches her face oddly contorted with the effects of the spell. Searching the grounds, she saw a single first year hiding behind a weathered statue.

Hugging the brooms to her chest, she shouted out trying to sound younger than she was.

"Don't shoot," she squeaked "I' am a first year" although she was smaller then her fellow sixth and seventh years she was still bigger then any first year, she hoped the boy wouldn't work this out until she got close enough to curse him.

She jogged up to the side of the statue, and before the boy could realise his mistake she had already screamed "Petrificus Totalus!" the boys limbs instantly snapped together and he fell on the stone effigy with a dull 'thunk' his eyes roving back and forth in his sockets frantically.

"By the way, I lied," said Ginny conversationally, ripping the boys wand from his frozen grip and casting it some distance away. "Ta-ta"

Mounting a broom, the rest tucked beneath her armpit for good measure, she kicked off from the ground.

By contrast, Ginny was riding a ratty old Hogwarts broom that had probably been stored in the shed forever.

The most random element was the cornering, which reminded Ginny vividly of Pigwigeon, crashing about the Burrow. But for all its faults it was a ride home, and once Ginny had got to grips with its eccentricities she realised it was a very fast broom, if handled expertly, for not being ridden for such a long time had certainly messed with its ability.

Not wanting to risk an accident Ginny kept the speed down, which also meant she could whip out the two-way mirror and hear the voice traffic going on between Snape and the first years.

It was grim listening, over the space of three minutes Ginny learnt that first years had captured Seamus, Dean and two other seventh years, while another sneaky group of first years waited to ambush a group of sixth years who had set of before Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Snape seemed like he was having the time of his life and regularly complimenting the first years on not letting anyone back inside.

Ginny was confident that she was going to be the first as she cruised the sky at the side of the Quidditch pitches, with just a couple hundred of meters separating her and her dormitory.

She would be in-doors in two minutes, showered and snuggled under her duvet in under fifteen wonderful minutes if she didn't hang about.

A shout came up over her two-way mirror, Ginny recognised it to be a tiny first year. "I got the Harry Potter and his two friends in sight, next to the lake." She yelled "I can curse them if you like?"

"A moment please," replied McGonagall calmly "Do we have anyone available to intercept?"

"Yes were heading over there now, with brooms, Professor!" cried another voice.

"Very good, Thompson, okay keep them in sight and report any movement."

Ginny felt a twang of conscience. If she now had all the remaining brooms, that spelt disaster for her stupid brother and his best friends. Ron was her brother, and a teeny tiny part of her wanted to help out, but on the other hand, the part that was more abundant argued that he was also a git. And lets not forget Hermione, smartest witch in her year my arse, thought Ginny grumpily.

Her heart leaped as she thought of Harry, she was less than a hundred metres from the main entrance…did she really want to risk it all for the sake of being a hero?

"Cannot believe I' am doing this," Ginny grunted, as she jabbed her broom and jerked it to the opposite direction away from all hope of getting to the castle and curling up in her bed

Selecting colourful swear word as she rode towards where the Gryffindor trio were supposedly located, she could hardly believe how nice and selfless she was being.

Judging by the mirror traffic, it sounded like a massive ruckus had broken out in the bushes by the lake, the group of burly sixth years had managed to get their hands on wands and were in some sort of shoot out. Swarms of first years were being sent to help them and Ginny new she had a chance to help.

She pressed the mirror towards her mouth, so the professors wouldn't be able to make out her face and spoke into the mirror, deliberately lowering her voice, so that it would be hard to recognise.

'I' am near the Quidditch pitch," she lied easily "five sixth and seventh years are heading towards the entrance. I need urgent assistance"

Snape answered immediately, "Can you confirm your location and name"

"Sorry Professor can't understand…weak signal…my mirror cracked when I fell. I _repeat_ I' am close to the exit and five sixth and seventh years coming towards me, but I can't take them all at once."

Snape started to panic "I want all the first years patrolling the lake, to intercept immediately, drop what you are doing and don't you dare let any of them get to Hogwarts"

Ginny grinned as a sequence of _'will do' _came through the mirror. She felt pretty good, but if Snape got hold of her after that stunt…she shuddered not daring to think of the things he would most certainly do to her.

She took a right and sped down the hill leading towards the lake, all the while trying not to think about how she could have been tucked up in bed by now.

------------------------

Harry, Ron and Hermione crouched in the trees, watching the brooms roar past in the darkness.

"They heading for the Quidditch pitch," Hermione whispered.

"You think its Ginny," Harry asked quickly, trying to look casual. Hermione shot him a knowing look.

"Nah," said Ron dismissing the idea at once "They wouldn't send all them lot after one person"

They could hear the six seventh and six years fighting valiantly in the woods less then a couple hundred feet away.

They had each considered joining in the fray themselves, but both sides had wands, while all they had was a boil covered back and a ropey plan.

"If the first years on broom are heading that way and them-" Ron jerked his thumb to the source of war cries and cursing "occupied…we could make a break for it" he finished confidently.

However both Hermione and Harry weren't as keen "After our last attempt I don't fancy our chances on foot," reasoned Harry, besides him Hermione was nodding her head frantically in agreement.

"We should stick to our plan." Hermione pointed to the sizable rock weighing in Harry's palm "One of the first years on the broomsticks have got to come up close eventually.

Over the next couple of minutes they heard more furious spell casting and watched a bunch of first years break out of the trees and make a run for it down the hill towards the lake. They had no wands and most of their equipment had been snatched by the feral group of seventh and sixth years who were chasing the path towards the Quidditch pitch.

As the massed group headed towards freedom a single broomstick closed in on Ron, Harry and Hermione position.

The other first years have gone after the non-existence group near the exit leaving this young Slytherin to hunt the golden trio alone.

He was pretty confident with a wand and a broom, he would be able to capture them both, but as he lowered his broom so that his feet trailed the muddy ground he was stunned to see the trio running right at him.

They were two metres apart holding a heavy branch between the three at shoulder height.

The Slytherin ducked and reached for his wand, but he was too slow. The branch smashed into him. As he tumble to the muddy ground his foot caught his broom and he landed heavily on it. There was an audible crack followed by a loud whimpering.

Ron wasted no time in pilfering the little boy and grabbed for the wand clutched feebly in the first year's hand, lamenting the loss of the broom loudly punctuating his language with colourful words every now and again.

"Hey, Johnson, where are you" The trio froze, almost guiltily over the body of the groaning first year, however Hermione had enough sense to clamp the Slytherin's mouth not wanting to give away their poisition or give up the element of surprised.

It was tiny girl, with her wand raised suspiciously as she perused the darkness for her comrade. The girl was about to call out for the Slytherin Johnson again but she caught sight of Harry as he made a lunge for her broom. In her panic she had dropped her wand to the floor, which Hermione gratefully scooped up, and dodged the incoming Gryffindor just in time.

Harry made another impromptu lunge as the little girl began to rise, but the broom with the combined weight of the girl was difficult to grab and his fingers had no grip after being out in the cold. He ended up sprawled on the grass.

As he scrambled to his feet, the little girl turned gently towards the slope and gathered speed as she headed towards the black lake. Harry broke into a wobbly sprint, catching snippets of the conversation the girl was holding with a mirror.

"Sir, Potter…friends, Johnson out cold…my wand…need backup…"

The broom finally zoomed off leaving Harry out of breath on the ground, his face red and dripping fat beads of sweat. Clutching the stitch burning at his side Harry whipped around to the flurry of footsteps heading in his direction.

"Why didn't you grab it?" Ron screamed, as two first years sprinted down the hill after them.

Harry was half drowned in mud and limping from his twisted ankle. "What do you think I was doing?' he panted bitterly, swiping the sweat from his forehead.

The first years had made it back to the trees and fired a spell towards them. The trio dived and both Ron and Hermione fired back, but Harry noticed a pair of broomsticks coming towards them.

Ginny fake mirror announcement had only fooled them for a minute, now they were all heading towards the lake.

"Run," Harry shouted, grabbing Ron's sleeve, closing his fingers around Hermione's arm and dragging them away.

They started running along the edge of the lake, it was out in the open, except for the few bushes to shield them.

"We can swim for it," gasped Harry in between breaths. He realised it wasn't the smartest idea, but he forgave himself when he spotted an unmistakable red headed dot in the distance.

"Ginny!"

The girl in question zoomed at alarming speed towards them, waving her hands crazily, with a far too cheerful expression on her face.

"Care for a ride old bean," she asked as she skidded to halt in front of them.

"I _bloody_ love you!" Ron grinned.

He accepted one of the brooms from his sister's outstretched palm, and he mounted it with Hermione, who gulped as she eyed the broom sceptically.

"Looks like your bunking with me," Ginny said happily, nodding for Harry to clamber on. Harry tittered nervously, grinning foolishly at her…she sent him an odd look, which prompted him to squat awkwardly on the broom next to her.

The first years on broomsticks were almost on top of them and the trio and Ginny struggled to steer their brooms, which seemed to have a mind of their own.

"Gimme a wand," Harry shouted.

Ginny passed her wand back, the remaining brooms tucked beneath her arm poking Harry uncomfortably in the stomach; she had to duck as he fired an 'Impendima' spell backwards at the chasing broomsticks.

It was almost impossible for them to shoot and ride at speed especially at nighttime, especially when Ginny was a maniac on a broom.

"Right in the face," howled Harry as his well-aimed spell, smacked the rider in between the eyes. He quickly righted himself and wrapped his arms around Ginny's petite waist before he fell off the broom. He felt the colour rise to his cheeks.

Next to them Ron and Hermione's broom wobbled precariously as Hermione dug her fingernails into Ron's stomach, causing the Weasley male to steer his broom in crazy zigzag patterns.

The second pursuing broomstick had been less of a threat and as soon as the entrance was in sight, Ginny accelerated and the broom roared clear. The chasing broomstick realised it was hopeless and gave up.

"Not too fast, were going to crash!" Harry yelled in to Ginny's ear.

Ginny eased off, but she surprised Harry by taking a sharp left.

"What are you doing, it's the Greenhouses, dead-end!" Screamed Ron. Who followed nevertheless.

As Ginny landed softly on the ground, a volley of curses pelted them from somewhere up ahead.

"What's going on?" yelled Hermione, as she and Ron landed directly behind them.

"I just heard on the mirror," Ginny replied, before yelling into the dark: "Do you want a ride? I can't wait all night."

Seconds later two crouching figure emerged from the safety of the greenhouse. They seemed unarmed and hexes and curses showered from up ahead as they ran.

Harry instantly recognised his fellow housemate Neville Longbottom as he grabbed the broom hungrily from Ginny's grasp. The other was a girl, with long dirty blonde hair and radishes swinging jauntily from her ears and stared at her broom with a dreamy expression.

"Neville, Luna!" exclaimed Ron, ducking as a dark purple spell barrelled towards him.

"Thanks guys!" puffed Neville; he mounted his broom uncertainly, while a gruesome cut on his chin was leaking profusely onto his jumper.

Still wearing her dreamy expression Luna mounted her own broom, making a noise of delight as a fiery orange spell soared inches away from the top off her head.

Together the group pumped the ground hard and soared high over the greenhouses just as a hail of colourful spells crashed into the spot they had been moments ago.

Forming a haphazard V formation, the Gryffindor's and Luna sailed through the sky, the surroundings passed in a blur as they headed towards the blissfully open front doors.

They kept flying until something happened. At first Ginny thought it was the wind Ron and Hermione started screaming. The tail of there broom had ignited with a bright orange fire, no doubt from a nasty curse, Hermione had leapt forward onto Ron's back to avoid the crackling flame, causing him to swerve right in front of an ungainly Neville. Who with a squeak missed them by inches at the cost of plunging directly into Ginny and Harry who had just dodged a bright green hex and were still recovering from the close shave.

With an almighty 'CRASH' Neville, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny ploughed into the ground, in a tangled heap of limbs, groaning, moaning, and swearing profusely in Ron and Ginny's case.

With a soft thud, Luna landed next the mountain of groaning bodies and raised her eyebrow quizzically. "What are you guys doing?"

Ron's _response_ was cut of by a small explosion, and the traumatised Gryffindor's jumped to their feet, boasting a host of fresh cuts and bruises, except for Ron who was horrified at the disintegration of his broom that he was clutching in his hands.

Ginny cracked him around the head "Come on idiot, you can mourn later!"

They heard a roar of more brooms way off in the distance, but it still gave Ron a jolt and they went skipping clumsily after the others.

Together the cluster of Gryffindor's began to hobble towards the front door, which was thankfully, several metres away; they all looked like something the cat had dragged backwards through the hedges, with bloodied faces, torn t-shirts and muddy robes.

A blast of warm air hit Harry and his comrades in the face as he skidded into the darkened hallway. At once everyone started cheering; Ron big bellowing laughs came out in short burst as he waved mockingly at the first years seething at the foot of the entrance. Ginny's two-way mirror was rattling with curses and profound swearing from Snape, and the group had to stifle their rapturous giggles.

They all wore massive grins and took turns hugging Ginny. Ron even went as far as to pick her up in the air and swing her around madly, Ginny laughing in response to her older brothers exuberance.

"You are totally the best sister," Ron gasped, as he pulled her into a tight hug.

Ginny smiled back "And just you remember that when I'm about to be blown up or something."

It was now time for Harry to express his appreciation, and he couldn't help but laugh when Ginny held out her arms expectantly, winking at him.

Hopping closer to accept the hug before she changed her mind, Harry notice that despite a rough night, and the many scratches that covered her face and the many layers of grime that coated her petite frame, she had never looked more stunning.

He had wasted enough of his seventh year, moping around, being depressed and angsty and if there one defiant ray of shining light that could light up his whole universe she was most certainly it. This girl in front of him was all he had ever wanted; red hair, coy smile and fellow lover of Quidditch.

"Hurry Potter or I might retract my hu-_mmffghhhh-_"

The rattling explosion, screams and the girlish cries of terror ripping the air were now a thousand miles away. The spluttering cries of Ginny's brother and Harry's best mate and other noises of shock had been switched off, leaving them with blissful silence.

He had pressed his lips against hers and kissed her. The second his lips touched hers he vowed from that that day onward, he would kiss her everyday. He'd kiss her every hour. Hell, he'd kiss her every minute. Every second of everyday for the rest of his life if he could.

He pulled away for air, remaining tangled up in each other's arms and watched her widen her eyes out of complete astonishment.

"Wow," she breathed, licking her lips. "That's one way of expressing your gratitude"

Grinning like a maniac, Harry swooped down and kissed her again, ignoring the renewed splutters of Ron, which promptly stop when Hermione cracked him on the head.

Reluctantly breaking away for her '_oh so_' kissable lips, Harry said:

"That Dumbledore is a _bloody _genius,"

Wiping blood from his chin, Ginny countered his smile with her own "I couldn't agree more'

-----------------------

Very very stupid idea, I know...please forgive. I apologise for the awful grammar and the lot, it was the result of a one day typing frenzy :P :D).

Please review to tell me how crap my story is...i would on the most part appreciate it :)

Have a good day,

BB, xoxoxox

P.S Saw Harry Potter and the Half blood Prince and is once again dissapointed...can't they for once stick to the story...that Steve Kloves needs a kick up the arse :P :) not to mention the Cinema...tried to SIZZLE me alive....phew!!!


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